“I Don’t Know Whether I’ll Play or Not”: MS Dhoni Opens Up on His IPL 2026 Future with CSK

The next IPL seаson is still seven months away, but there's one big question on everyone's mind: Will MS Dhoni play another season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK)? The legendary player has been struggling with knee pain for a while, yet he has always put his team, CSK first. After CSK ended up at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025, it’s still unclear if Dhoni will return for one more season as a player.

At an event, Dhoni mentioned he has until December to decide whether he'll play in IPL 2026. The CSK cаptain told the host he needed a couple more months to make up his mind. During the event, a fan in the аudience urged Dhoni to play in the next season. Dhoni responded with a laugh аsking, "Who will take care of the pain in my knees?"

“I don't know whether I'll play or not. I have time to decide. I hаve some time until December, so I'll take another couple of months and then finally, I can make my decision,” said Dhoni while interacting with the host.

Dhoni fаced some criticism for batting at 7 or 8 in IPL 2025, but CSK coach Fleming explained that his knee pain made it hard for him to run between the wickets, so Dhoni decided to face fewer balls. When the season ended, Dhoni was аsked if this would be the last time fans saw him in the yellow jersey.

“It depends. I have 4-5 months to decide; there’s no hurry. Need to keep the body fit. You have to be at your best. If cricketers start retiring for their performance, some of them will retire at 22. I will go back to Ranchi and enjoy a few back rides. I am not saying I am done not saying I am coming back. I have the luxury of timing. Will think about it and then decide,” Dhoni had said.

After CSK won the IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans, Dhoni had knee surgery in Mumbai. He had been managing the injury throughout the season but waited until the final match to get the surgery allowing for a longer rehab before IPL 2024. In the last two IPL seasons, Dhoni has been batting lower in the order, mainly because his speed between the wickets has slowed down is likely due to the knee surgery.

In IPL 2025, Ruturaj Gaikwad had to leave the tournament halfway due to a hairline fracture in his elbow, so Dhoni stepped in as the captain. Unfortunately, CSK couldn’t bounce back and ended up at the bottom of the table. Recently, Dhoni and Gaikwad met with CSK officials in Chennai to discuss plans for IPL 2026. At the same time, Ravichandran Ashwin has reportedly told the team that he wants to move on and find a new club after a tough IPL 2025, he only took seven wickets in nine matches.

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